Things must have been really hot Sunday night down at Fisherman's Wharf -- no fewer than four San Francisco firefighter crews showed up.

No blazing pier or medical emergency here -- but it was the big VIP grand opening of the new busty eatery Hooters.

And there was no shortage of rank-and-file firefighters and brass on hand to inspect the joint personally.

Two aerial ladder trucks and a third fire truck were parked near the Leavenworth Street festivities. "And just as one of the trucks was leaving, a fourth fire truck showed up, and more firemen poured out," said Karin Durham, who along with her husband was caught in a traffic jam created by all the fire power.

No, but you never know when they may need to lend some emergency assistance -- like when one of the scantily clad waitresses came out to hug a couple of the firefighters, and had to be given a coat to wear while she chatted with them.

Fire Department honchos -- already on pins and needles over the city's plan to slash the department's budget -- were less than happy to hear about all the helmets showing up at Hooters.

For the record, the four trucks came from three firehouses -- and two of the crews had just finished answering a box alarm in the area when they stopped off "to take a peek," according to the deputy chief.

And, no doubt, help get Hooters off to a rip-roaring start.

"We had an incredible first day," said manager Jamie Spencley. "From start to finish, we had a line out the door."

And then some.

OUT THE DOOR: The exit of Robert Bobb as Oakland's city manager was sudden, but not entirely unexpected -- for months rumors had been circulating that headstrong Mayor Jerry Brown had grown weary of his equally headstrong city manager.

Initially, the Brown-Bobb combo seemed a dream team -- one that hooked Brown's star power with Bobb's pragmatic, get-it-done style.

But a combination of time, the downturn in the economy and a general feeling that things weren't getting done took their toll.

The first visible strain came with Bobb's boosterism for a new A's downtown ballpark -- an idea that never caught fire with Brown.

There also appeared to be a split on the City Council, with some members backing Bobb and others increasingly dissatisfied with his day-to-day running of the city.

"I don't know specifically what triggered it, but I can understand the reasons," said Councilman Danny Wan.

"Robert was pretty good at getting us through the budget, and getting rid of some of the bureaucratic fiefdoms that existed in Oakland," Wan said. "But we still need work on the day-to-day running of the city and on labor relations."

One example, Wan said, was when the city recently asked workers to make wage concessions -- and the unions came back with a vote of no confidence in city management.

Still, one source following the City Hall tensions said Bobb's allies had tried repeatedly to help him land a new contract, despite Brown's preference to have him and other employees serve at will.

As recently as Monday a group of African American leaders met with the mayor and once again pushed the contract issue.

But it may have backfired.

"The mayor is very recalcitrant," the source said, "and doesn't like to be told what to do."

TOTAL RECALL? Word is Republican backers of the bid to recall Gov. Gray Davis will declare by this weekend that they've got enough signatures to make the ballot.

"They are very, very positive and claim they have the 900,000 they need," said one state GOP leader who has been in close touch with the recall advocates.

"The goal is still to get 1.2 million signatures, but they feel they have enough right now to suspend the professional (read paid) signature operation," our insider said.

"They'll still be collecting more names, but it will be just a dribble."

If true, then the battle will move to the secretary of state's office, where there's already a tug-of-war about how and when to count the signatures.

The recallers are hoping for a quick count -- one that will put the recall on a November special election, when the odds favor a high Republican turnout.

The Demos would like to see it held off until the March presidential primary, when Democrats are expected to come out in greater numbers.

Either way, it should make for quite a show.

D.A. poll: Consider the source, but a new poll of 800 likely San Francisco voters shows liberal District Attorney Terence Hallinan's re-election is anything but certain.